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Florida's 9th Congressional District election (August 28, 2018 Democratic primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 27 - Nov. 3[2]
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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| Florida's 9th Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: May 4, 2018 |
| Primary: August 28, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Darren Soto (Democrat) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Florida |
| Race ratings |
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st • 22nd • 23rd • 24th • 25th • 26th • 27th Florida elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 |
Incumbent Darren Soto (D) defeated former Rep. Alan Grayson (D) in the August 28 primary. Soto received 66.4 percent of the vote to Grayson's 33.6 percent. Soto won the seat in 2016, which Grayson had held between 2013 and 2017, after Grayson opted to run for the U.S. Senate rather than seeking re-election to the House. Grayson's wife, Dena Grayson, was among a pool of Democratic candidates Soto defeated in the 2016 primary.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) endorsed Soto in the safely Democratic district. The committee's endorsements in primaries had been criticized by Democrats who believe DCCC endorsed candidates were insufficiently progressive.[3] House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed regret about Grayson's decision to challenge Soto while praising his record in Congress. "I love Alan Grayson. He was a very progressive member of Congress. I wish he would run in a different seat."
Pelosi said Soto was important to the party "generationally and also in terms of issues that relate to Puerto Rico, which are a priority for us to address."[4] Soto campaigned highlighting his efforts to resettle refugees from Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria[5] Grayson accused Soto of holding a fundraiser shortly after Hurricane Irma hit Florida. Soto's campaign provided details of the fundraiser aiming to show that it took place before the storm.[6]
Grayson highlighted Soto's unwillingness to join a movement to impeach President Donald Trump. "The people who are appalled by the Trump presidency are demanding it," he said.[7] He called Soto's approach "appeasement," saying, "I would have voted already to have him impeached."[8]
Grayson also targeted Soto's position on firearm regulations, citing his former A-rating from the National Rifle Association.[9] In response Soto cited his endorsements from Pride Fund to End Gun Violence and Giffords PAC, saying, "Many of us changed our opinions on this after Newtown in 2012," referring to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.[8][10]
Soto told Politico he would assemble "a strong coalition of support among Hispanics, African-Americans and women" similar to the one that backed him in 2016.[11]
For more on related elections, please see:
- Florida's 9th Congressional District election (August 28, 2018 Republican primary)
- Florida's 9th Congressional District election, 2018
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
- Democratic Party primaries in Florida, 2018
- Republican Party primaries in Florida, 2018
Election results
Incumbent Darren Soto defeated Alan Grayson in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 9 on August 28, 2018.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 9
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Darren Soto | 66.4 | 36,586 |
 | Alan Grayson | 33.6 | 18,528 | |
| Total votes: 55,114 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Candidates
Party: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Political office: Florida's 9th Congressional District, 2013-2017
Biography: Grayson is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing Florida's 9th Congressional District from 2013 to 2017. Grayson earned a Jurisdoctorate from Harvard Law and a Masters of Public Policy from the Harvard School of Government in 1983.[12][13] Grayson sought election to the U.S. Senate from Florida in 2016, losing in the Democratic primary to U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy[14] Grayson previously served in District 8 of the U.S. House from 2008 to 2010.
- Grayson made his goal of impeaching President Donald Trump (R) central to his campaign, saying he would have voted to impeach the president if he was in Soto's seat.[8]
- Grayson supports a public option for healthcare insurance and introduced the Medicare You Can Buy Into Act in 2013 which would have allowed any U.S. citizen to buy into Medicare.[15]
- Grayson called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission "the worst Supreme Court ruling in more than a century" and proposes a 500% excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees.[16]
Party: Democratic
Incumbent: Yes
Political office: Florida's 9th Congressional District
Biography: Darren Soto is a Democratic member of the U.S. House representing Florida's 9th Congressional District. Soto was first elected to the House in 2016. Soto is also a former Democratic member of the Florida State Senate, representing District 14 from 2012 to 2016. Soto served in the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 49 2007 to 2012. When Soto was elected to the House in 2016 he became the first Puerto Rican Congressman to represent Florida.[17]
- Soto campaigned with emphasis on his efforts to get federal assistance for Puerto Rico and Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. Soto said his efforts resulted in $4 billion in federal funds for Puerto Rico and $5 billion for Central Florida.[18]
- Following the shootings at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub in 2016, Soto called for a special session of the Florida Legislature to introduce firearm regulations like universal background checks for firearm purchases and the banning of bump stocks and high capacity magazines.[18]
- Soto was a cosponsor of the Social Security 2100 Act which would aim to fund Social Security to 2100. Soto has opposed efforts to privatize social security.[18]
Timeline
- August 17, 2018: Four debates were held at the 3rd annual "Political Salsa" event hosted by the Puerto Rican Bar Association, including a debate between Grayson and Soto. A notable divide between the candidates was their stance on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "ICE deserves to abolished,” Grayson said. “ICE has become what amounts to an agency of viciousness." Soto advocated reform rather than abolition. “I believe the solution is to reform ICE," he said, "The reason that ICE is the way it is is that there aren’t laws that are preventing them from doing the things that they do." [19]
- August 13, 2018: Soto was endorsed by Boricua Vota, who released a statement responding to accusations against Soto and mailers sent by Grayson's campaign. The mailers accused Soto of holding a fundraiser during Hurricane Irma and Grayson has criticized the adequacy of Soto's efforts to push for disaster relief and vouchers. "Key leaders who organized local main efforts to aid Puerto Rico after the disaster are asking where was Grayson when hundreds of volunteers gathered at Acacia in Orlando to load 52 trucks with food and supplies," Boricua Vota said in the release. "Soto was there with us and hundreds of volunteers making it happen, Grayson was not," Tomás Javier Rivera, founder of the La Sanse Festival, said.[6]
- August 2, 2018: A debate was held at the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida between Soto and Grayson. Soto accused Grayson of failure to properly oversee the construction of Orlando’s new Veterans Administration Medical Center. Grayson denied the accusation and said he got the contractor responsible for the problems banned from getting more federal contracts. Grayson stressed his commitment to impeaching President Donald Trump (R), saying, "The president has blown it ever since he came to office for cheating and colluding with the Russians. Frankly, I would have voted already to have him impeached," and criticized Soto, "My opponent has voted twice with the president against impeachment, and that’s the worst form of appeasement that I can imagine." Soto responded that he would seek impeachment of the president after an investigation concluded that crimes were in fact committed.[20]
Endorsements
The table below summarizes the endorsements Ballotpedia identified for Democratic candidates in this primary.
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
| Democratic candidate endorsements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Date | Grayson | Soto (I) |
| Organizations | |||
| Boricua Vota[6] | August 13, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Giffords PAC[21] | July 31, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida[22] | July 26, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate[23] | July 19, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Latino Victory Fund[24] | July 17, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Blue America PAC[25] | May 10, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Congressional Progressive Caucus[26] | March 16, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee[27] | May 1, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Planned Parenthood Action Fund[21] | May 16, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Orlando Professional Fire Fighters International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1365[28] | June 5, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Central Florida Police Benevolent Association[28] | June 5, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Human Rights Campaign[29] | June 19, 2018 | ✔ | |
| National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare[30] | July 12, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Our Revolution Orlando[31] | July 12, 2018 | ✔ | |
| Federal officials | |||
| Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)[32] | May 17, 2018 | ✔ | |
| National figures | |||
| Joe Biden[33] | May 29, 2018 | ✔ | |
| San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz[21] | July 29, 2018 | ✔ | |
Campaign themes and policy stances
Alan Grayson
| “ |
Women's issues I have sponsored, co-sponsored, and voted for many bills to help women. Here are some examples: 1) I co-sponsored and voted for H.R. 11, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 stating that the 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination resets with each new discriminatory paycheck. 2) I co-sponsored H.J. Res. 61, which proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the United States establishing equal rights for men and women. This constitutional amendment prohibits denying or abridging equality of rights under the law by the United States or by any state on account of sex. 3) I co-sponsored H.R. 2744, the Equal Rights for Health Care Act. This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status against any person in the United States under any health care service or research program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, including Medicare and Medicaid. 4) I co-sponsored H.R. 1691, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2009. The bill requires that group health plans provide medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. 5) I co-sponsored and voted in favor of H.R. 971. This bill sets guidelines for the United States Preventive Services Task Force, to make sure insurers are not denying women coverage for mammograms and other services related to breast cancer. 6) I co-sponsored H.R. 4830, the Women and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs. This bill will allow states to compete for grants for programs that will help increase women’s participation in high-wage, high-demand occupations in which women are currently underrepresented in the state’s workforce. 7) I co-sponsored H.R. 4594, which establishes an Office for Women’s Global Development (intended to replace the Office of Women in Development) in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The office would coordinate USAID efforts to integrate gender in U.S. foreign assistance programs, targeting and policies. It also requires the Secretary to provide guidance on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls to the Secretary of DOD when U.S. military personnel, military contractors, and military observers are to be deployed in humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict settings. 8) I co-sponsored H.R. 22, which expresses that the rights of women are vital to the development and well-being of people of all nations, and requesting that the U.S. Senate ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. 9) I co-sponsored H.R. 1740, the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009. This bill requires Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a national evidence-based education campaign to increase public awareness regarding the threats posed by breast cancer to young women, including the particular risks faced by certain ethnic and cultural groups. It also requires focus on awareness of risk factors and achieving early detection through community-centered informational forums, public service advertisements, and media campaigns. National security Latino Issues Boosting Hispanic-Owned Small Businesses: I obtained funding for a program that will provide valuable tools to women and minorities as they work to be successful entrepreneurs. Thanks to my efforts, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando received $220,000 to expand small business training and assistance throughout Central Florida. The DREAM Act: I voted in favor of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2010. This bill gives children who are here illegally, through no fault of their own, the opportunity to come out of the shadows and gain conditional non-immigrant status, as long as they demonstrate that they can be productive members of society. The landmark bipartisan legislation gives qualifying undocumented children, who grew up in the United States, the ability to pursue higher education and serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. Several strict conditions apply. Children must:
We have to make meaningful distinctions among the undocumented. There is no social or economic benefit to creating an uneducated, nonparticipating underclass in U.S. society. On the contrary, we should work to integrate the children currently here with undocumented status – who have themselves committed no crime – so that they can become active contributors to this country’s economic wellbeing. Congratulating Justice Sotomayor: At the White House, I told Sonya Sotomayor, face-to-face, how proud I am that she is now a Supreme Court Justice. We both grew up near Bronx Park, in New York City. I am particularly happy that we have a Puerto Rican leader who embraces her heritage. Justice Sotomayor is truly a ‘wise Latina.’ She embodies the diversity that makes America great. Justice In Vieques: In Vieques, an island off the coast of Puerto Rico, the land and water have been poisoned by debris from a military bombing range. The mess has caused people of Vieques to suffer terribly, from cancer and other diseases. I have demanded that the military accept responsibility for the harm it has caused, and help to ease the suffering of the victims in Vieques. Health Care That is why I supported the Affordable Care Act. It takes us close to universal healthcare for all Americans. It eliminates the donut hole on prescription drugs for seniors, and covers their routine checkups. “Obamacare” prevents insurance companies from cutting you off when you reach some arbitrary limit on health care costs, and it prevents insurance companies from denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition. The health care reform also allows young men and women to stay on their parents’ insurance policy until they are 26 years old. But there is more to do. I support a strong public option. We need to increase competition, especially in areas where one or two insurance companies control 80% or more of the health insurance market. In Congress, I introduced the Medicare You Can Buy Into Act, which opens up Medicare to anyone who is willing to pay for it. We need universal, comprehensive, affordable health care in America. With 122 Americans dying every day because they have no health insurance, it can’t come soon enough. Financial Services I used my position on the House Financial Services Committee to address the problems that caused the so-called “Great Recession.” I teamed up with Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) to push through an amendment to audit the Federal Reserve. The audit exposed that the Federal Reserve had conducted $26 TRILLION in secret bailouts during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. I also supported meaningful efforts to rein in the abusive practices of credit card companies. The Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights prevents retroactive interest rate increases, empowers people to set limits on their credit, and requires card companies to be fair. Among the other reforms I support are:
Energy I believe that offshore drilling in Florida poses a tremendous risk to the environment and to the largest component of our economy, which is tourism. Before we even entertain the possibility of drilling offshore, I want to see tangible benefits for the people of Florida. In advance of any drilling, there should be an agreement as good as the one that the people of Alaska enjoy. Each year, every man, woman and child in Alaska receives a check for more than $1,000, in exchange for Big Oil drilling there. If and when the oil companies offer that much or more to Florida, we can consider whether to take the risk. Education My support of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act delivered more than $200 million in additional aid to the schools in my district. The money prevented at least six schools from closing. Campaign finance reform The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-to-4 decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission is the worst Supreme Court ruling in more than a century. It opened the door to political bribery and corruption on the largest scale imaginable. Corporations, foreign-owned businesses and foreign governments will be allowed to spend unlimited amounts of cash on propaganda to influence the outcomes of our elections. We cannot put the law up for sale, and award our government to the highest bidder. That’s why I introduced legislation to prevent a corporate takeover of government in America. My “Save Our Democracy” Platform aims to stave off the threat of “corpocracy.” Each of the bills is clear and concise; none is longer than four pages. Here are the eight bills I introduced, and what they aim to accomplish: The Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act (H.R. 4431): Implements a 500% excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees, and on corporate expenditures on political advocacy campaigns. The Public Company Responsibility Act (H.R. 4435): Prevents companies making political contributions and expenditures from trading their stock on national exchanges. The End Political Kickbacks Act (H.R. 4434): Prevents for-profit corporations that receive money from the government from making political contributions, and limits the amount that employees of those companies can contribute. The Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act (H.R. 4432): Requires publicly-traded companies to disclose in SEC filings money used for the purpose of influencing public opinion, rather than promoting their products and services. The Ending Corporate Collusion Act (H.R. 4433): Applies antitrust law to industry political action committees. The End the Hijacking of Shareholder Funds Act (H.R. 4487): This bill requires the approval of a majority of a public company’s shareholders for any expenditure by that company to influence public opinion on matters not related to the company’s products or services. The America is for Americans Act (H.R. 4510): Bans all political contributions from foreign companies, or domestic companies with any foreign owners. The Pick Your Poison Act (H.R. 4511): Requires corporations to choose between using lobbyists to influence the political process, or spending money on campaign propaganda. You can count on me to fight the special interests. I don’t owe anything to anyone but the voters. Economy Our country can no longer afford to let the rich get richer through tax breaks, at the expense of the middle class. It has been more than a decade since the Bush tax breaks for the rich were enacted. There were 110 million private sector jobs in America in 2001. There are 110 million private sector jobs in America today. Despite a population increase of more than 25 million, there are no more private sector jobs today than when the Bush tax breaks for the rich became law. I pointed out on national television that American has the fifth most unequal distribution of wealth in the world. That needs to change. The only way that everyone will be better off is if everyone is better off. When the economy recovers, we need to tackle government spending and return to the days of budget surpluses, like the ones we created under the Clinton Administration. But first, we need to ensure that we avoid another recession, and that there is a job for everyone who needs one. |
” |
| —Alan Grayson for Congress[35] | ||
Darren Soto
| “ |
Puerto Rico When President Trump wanted to pull out food and water aid going to Puerto Rico, I led the effort to ensure these basic necessities continued to reach Puerto Ricans on the island by leading a Congressional letter with 50 co-signers to FEMA Administrator Long. The Trump administration has tried to get rid of these program many times but I continue pressuring the administration by bringing sustained public and media attention to these issues. I also have fought for months to get FEMA lease vouchers approved in the face of major opposition from the Trump administration. I will continue to fight for the Island’s recovery from Hurricane Maria for as long as it takes to get the job done. And I will work to make the Puerto Ricans who have relocated to Florida feel welcome. Gun safety reform In Congress, after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, I proposed a 5 point gun safety plan:
“These ultra-liberal, gun hating Democrats should be ashamed.” - NRA Florida lobbyist Marion Hammer I’m not afraid to stand up to the gun lobby. In Congress, I’ll continue to fight for common sense gun safety reforms. We can respect Second Amendment rights while keeping guns out of dangerous hands. We owe it to the victims and survivors of the gun violence epidemic in our country. Reproductive rights and women's health Women have a right to control their own bodies. Reproductive health care decisions should be between a woman and her doctor – and nobody else. I was proud to lead the fight on the Florida State Senate Floor to defeat an outrageous 24-hour abortion waiting period bill. Soon after, the ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the law that used my arguments as a framework – and in a huge win for women, the Florida Supreme Court agreed with us and put that anti-choice law on hold. I was also proud to lead the fight in the Florida Senate to successfully double the statute of limitations for crimes of sexual violence, so that rapists and predators can be held accountable and taken off the street. In Congress, I always stand up for the right of women to make their own health and family planning decisions – and I will continue to fight tooth-and-nail against any effort to defund Planned Parenthood and take away comprehensive women’s health services. Social Security I am a cosponsor of the Social Security 2100 Act which would fully fund Social Security to 2100 and beyond. In Congress, I stand up for our seniors and fight every attempt to privatize or cut Social Security. I was proud to vote against the GOP tax scam which will lead to major cuts to Social Security due to “Pay-go” Laws. Environmental protections I am thrilled to be the greenest member of the Florida Congressional Delegation. My National Environmental Scorecard from the League of Conservation Voters is 100%, the highest of any Florida legislator. In Congress, I’m pushing for investments in renewable energy sources and education for a new generation of scientists to conquer the challenges ahead. We’ve made tremendous progress, but we can’t afford to go backward. Corporate polluters and their political allies are fighting tooth and nail to do away with critical regulations that protect our land, water, air, and people from pollution and climate change. Trump signed an executive action to expand offshore drilling along our coasts – an unmistakable threat to our ecosystem and communities, particularly here in Florida. Florida is blessed with a unique and beautiful environment, from America’s Everglades to endless miles of pristine beaches. Our economy and quality of life depend on keeping Florida clean – and that’s not worth sacrificing for the short-term gain of corporate polluters. That’s why I’m fighting to pass a statewide ban on fracking and have fought to protect our sensitive ecosystems. I was named Champion of the Everglades by Audubon Florida in 2015 because of my record on fighting for our environment. In Congress, I’m fighting to ban fracking on all our public lands and finish the work begun by President Obama to reduce our reliance on carbon fuels. Climate change America should be at the forefront of the effort to reduce fossil fuel emissions and confront the threat of climate change. That's why I'm fighting in Congress to invest in renewable energy, protect our environment, and reduce the financial burden on students who graduate with degrees in science and technology. We have the opportunity to build a clean energy economy and drastically reduce our fossil fuel emissions; we can't afford to lose the progress we've made. Here in Florida, we have a lot to lose from climate change – we have more private property at risk from climate change than any other state. If we don’t act now, rising sea levels and intensified hurricanes will pose a growing threat to our economy and our well-being. We must listen to the scientists: Climate change is real and it is caused by human activity. We must dramatically reduce our carbon emissions and transition to a clean energy future. Jobs and the economy
Next: I’m working on funding to develop a high-tech sensors manufacturing center in Osceola County. I am fighting for long overdue investments to modernize our roads, bridges, schools, water systems, and clean energy capacity. These investments in our country are what created the middle class, and renewed investment would help local business and provide employment and purpose to Floridians currently out of work. LGBT equality Here in Central Florida, we embrace our proud LGBT community – and after the horrific attack on the Pulse nightclub in 2016, we all rallied together to support our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters. Our neighbors are of every race, religion, nationality, gender identity, and sexual orientation and we are proud of it. We celebrate it. We believe love is love. That’s what makes us Orlando Strong. In the Florida Senate, I sponsored legislation to remove the provision in Florida statutes that defined marriage between a man and a woman. I also led the effort to filibuster a bill that would allow discrimination of LGBT couples in the adoption process. In Congress, I was proud to vote against banning transgender Americans from serving in our military. I continue to strongly oppose the Trump administration’s attempts to reduce healthcare rights for the LGBT+ community. In addition, I stand strongly against Trump’s attempts to allow open discrimination against the LGBT+ community under the guise of religion. In Congress, I’ll fight to pass the Equality Act to provide nationwide protections to LGBT+ Americans against discrimination in employment, housing, and education. Health care I support Medicare for All to provide a public option to complement the ACA. There have been several attempts to cut healthcare coverage under the Trump Administration. We expect more of their attempts to undermine our health care system in order to give tax cuts to wealthy corporations. When someone is sick or injured, we have a responsibility to ensure they get the care they need--without going bankrupt. President Obama’s Affordable Care Act expanded access to quality health care and brought the number of uninsured to a historic low. With your support, I’ll do everything I can in Congress to stop the Republicans from repealing it. In all, over 1.6 million Floridians now have quality health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, and it’s making a real difference in the lives of those who went years without seeing a doctor. All Floridians should have access to health coverage. I’ve been leading the fight to expand Medicaid in Florida, and in Congress, I’ll continue the fight to defend and improve on the Affordable Care Act. Immigration reform Passing comprehensive immigration reform – with a pathway to citizenship – must be at the top of our agenda. Our laws need to catch up with our values and with reality. We aren’t going to deport 11 million undocumented people, the vast majority of whom are working hard, paying taxes, playing by the rules, and contributing to our economy and our community. In the Florida Legislature, I worked across the aisle to get progressive priorities signed into law in a contentious political environment – including bills to allow DREAMers to pay in-state tuition at our public universities and to be admitted to the Florida Bar. Trade NAFTA didn't work, and I opposed the TPP as well. I believe we can and must do better, but insulting our allies and friends is not the way to achieve our trade goals. "Free trade" is a nice idea, in theory. But when a "free" trade deal is unfair to working families in Florida, I'll fight it every step of the way. [34] |
” |
| —Darren Soto Democrat for Congress[18]"Darren on the issues," accessed May 16, 2018</ref> | ||
Campaign tactics and strategies
Campaign advertisements
Alan Grayson
Support
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Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Florida's 9th Congressional District election, Democratic primary | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Alan Grayson | Darren Soto | Other/Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||||||
| Spectrum News Florida/SurveyUSA August 2-6 | 38% | 45% | 17% | +/-5.4 | 512 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Democratic Party factional conflict
Disputes between candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and candidates outside the official organs of the Democratic Party occurred in U.S. House primaries in 2018.
The DCCC, a campaign arm of the Democratic National Committee, endorsed candidates who party leaders believed had the best chance of defeating Republican incumbents.[36]
Some criticized the DCCC's choices. Ryan Grim and Lee Fang wrote in The Intercept, for example, "In district after district, the national party is throwing its weight behind candidates who are out of step with the national mood."[37]
In this primary, the DCCC endorsed Darren Soto.[36]
The chart below shows a scorecard for how the DCCC performed in competitive Democratic primaries that featured at least one DCCC-endorsed candidate and one other Democratic candidate.
| U.S. House Democratic factions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faction | Primary victories in 2018 | |||||||||||
| Endorsed by DCCC | 31 | |||||||||||
| Not endorsed by DCCC | 2 | |||||||||||
Satellite spending
Latino Victory Fund: As of an August 22 filing the Latino Victory Fund had spent $313,000 on media in support of Soto.[38]
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darren Soto | Democratic Party | $1,511,579 | $1,534,325 | $6,519 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Alan Grayson | Democratic Party | $1,042,637 | $642,969 | $702,174 | As of December 31, 2018 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Online presence
May 16, 2018
The following social media statistics were compiled on May 16, 2018.
| Candidate | Followers | Likes | Comments on Last Ten Posts | Followers | Following | Tweets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson |
169,420 | 179,849 | 185 | 73,300 | 184 | 2,942 |
| Soto |
8,958 | 4,365 | 826 | 6,218 | 3,108 | 1,964 |
Tweets by Alan Grayson Tweets by Darren Soto
Race ratings
| Race ratings: Florida's 9th Congressional District election, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+5, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Florida's 9th Congressional District the 172nd most Democratic nationally.[39]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.02. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.02 points toward that party.[40]
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Florida heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Democrats and Republicans each held one U.S. Senate seat in Florida.
- Republicans held 16 of 27 U.S. House seats in Florida.
State executives
- As of September 2018, Republicans held six out of nine state executive positions. The other three positions were held by nonpartisan officials.
- The governor of Florida was Republican Rick Scott. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Florida State Legislature. They had a 22-16 majority in the state Senate and a 75-41 majority in the state House.
Trifecta status
- Florida was under Republican trifecta control since the governor was a Republican and both chambers of the Florida State Legislature were under Republican control.
2018 elections
- See also: Florida elections, 2018
Florida held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- One U.S. Senate seat
- 27 U.S. House seats
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- Three other state executive offices
- 20 out of 40 state Senate seats
- 120 state House seats
- Four of seven state Supreme Court seats
- Municipal elections in Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, and Pinellas counties and the city of Jacksonville
Demographics
| Demographic data for Florida | ||
|---|---|---|
| Florida | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 20,244,914 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 53,625 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 76% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 16.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.4% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 23.7% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 86.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,507 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 19.8% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Florida. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2017, Florida's three largest cities were Jacksonville (pop. est. 860,000), Miami (pop. est. 430,000), and Tampa (pop. est. 360,000).[41][42]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Florida from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Florida Department of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Florida every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Florida 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 |  Donald Trump |
49.0% | Hillary Clinton |
47.8% | 1.2% |
| 2012 | Barack Obama |
50.0% | Mitt Romney |
49.1% | 0.9% |
| 2008 | Barack Obama |
51.0% | John McCain |
48.2% | 2.8% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush |
52.10% | John Kerry |
47.09% | 5.01% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush |
48.847% | Al Gore |
48.838% | 0.009% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Florida from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Florida 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Marco Rubio |
52.0% | Patrick Murphy |
44.3% | 7.7% |
| 2012 | Bill Nelson |
55.2% | Connie Mack |
42.2% | 13.0% |
| 2010 | Marco Rubio |
48.9% |  Charlie Crist |
29.7% | 19.2% |
| 2006 | Bill Nelson |
60.3% | Katherine Harris |
38.1% | 22.2% |
| 2004 | Mel Martinez |
49.4% | Betty Castor |
48.3% | 1.1% |
| 2000 | Bill Nelson |
51.0% | Bill McCollum |
46.2% | 4.8% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Florida.
| Election results (Governor/Lt. Governor), Florida 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Rick Scott/Carlos Lopez-Cantera |
48.1% | Charlie Crist/Annette Taddeo-Goldstein |
47.1% | 1% |
| 2010 | Rick Scott/Jennifer Carroll |
48.9% | Alex Sink/Rod Smith |
47.7% | 1.2% |
| 2006 | Charlie Crist/Jeff Kottkamp |
52.2% | Jim Davis/Daryl Jones |
45.1% | 7.1% |
| 2002 | Jeb Bush/Frank Brogan |
56.0% | Bill McBride/Tom Rossin |
43.2% | 12.8% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Florida in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Florida 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 17 |
62.9% | 10 |
37.0% | R+7 |
| 2014 | 17 |
62.9% | 10 |
37.0% | R+7 |
| 2012 | 17 |
62.9% | 10 |
37.0% | R+7 |
| 2010 | 19 |
76.0% | 6 |
24.0% | R+13 |
| 2008 | 15 |
60.0% | 10 |
40.0% | R+5 |
| 2006 | 16 |
64.0% | 9 |
36.0% | R+7 |
| 2004 | 18 |
66.7% | 7 |
33.3% | R+11 |
| 2002 | 17 |
66.7% | 8 |
33.3% | R+9 |
| 2000 | 15 |
57.9% | 8 |
42.1% | R+7 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Florida Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2018
- United States House elections in Florida (August 28, 2018 Democratic primaries)
- Florida's 9th Congressional District election (August 28, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Counties could add additional early voting days from October 22 through October 26 and/or November 4.
- ↑ Counties could add additional early voting days from October 22 through October 26 and/or November 4.
- ↑ Politico, "Grayson says he'll challenge Soto in Florida's 9th," May 1, 2018
- ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "Pelosi: ‘I love Alan Grayson’ but he shouldn’t challenge Soto," May 3, 2018
- ↑ The Orlando Sentinel, "U.S. Rep. Darren Soto launches task force on Puerto Rican arrivals to Central Florida," December 28, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Orlando Sentinel, "Boricua Vota endorses Darren Soto, hits back at Alan Grayson," August 13, 2018
- ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "Alan Grayson to take on fellow Democrat Darren Soto," May 1, 2018
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Orlando Weekly," "Grayson, Soto duke it out during debate at Central Florida's Tiger Bay Club," August 6, 2018
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Alan Grayson returns to seek old seat in Congress," May 1, 2018
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Democrats Alan Grayson, Darren Soto wage nasty war for Congress District 9," August 3, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Grayson says he'll challenge Soto in Florida's 9th," May 1, 2018
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "GRAYSON, Alan, (1958 - )," accessed February 5, 2015
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, "Alan Grayson," accessed August 15, 2018
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Alan Grayson says he’s in Florida’s U.S. Senate race," July 9, 2015
- ↑ Govtrack, "H.R. 500 (113th): Medicare You Can Buy Into Act," accessed August 20, 2018
- ↑ Grayon for Congress, "Issues," accessed August 20, 2018
- ↑ NBC News, "Darren Soto Elected First Puerto Rican Congressman From Florida," November 8, 2016
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsotoissues - ↑ Florida Politics, "Alan Grayson, Darren Soto, Wayne Liebnitzky spread on ICE in ‘Political Salsa’ CD 9 debate," August 17, 2018
- ↑ Florida Politics," "Darren Soto and Alan Grayson debate: brawling, bruising, ‘lies!’," August 2, 2018
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 DarrenSoto.com, accessed May 16, 2018
- ↑ Floridapolitics.com, "Darren Soto picks up Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida nod" July 26, 2018
- ↑ Floridapolitics.com, "Moms gun control group likes Darren Soto in CD 9," July 19, 2018
- ↑ , "Darren Soto endorsed by Latino Victory Fund," July 17, 2018
- ↑ Floridapolitics.com, "Alan Grayson gets backing of Blue America PAC in CD 9 Democratic race," May 10, 2018
- ↑ DarrenSoto.com, "Progressive Caucus Endorses Soto," March 16, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Grayson says he'll challenge Soto in Florida's 9th," May 1, 2018
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Florida Politics, "Darren Soto picks up nods from firefighters, police unions," June 5, 2018
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Darren Soto picks up Human Rights Campaign endorsement," June 19, 2018
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Social Security Group endorses Darren Soto in for re-election," July 12, 2018
- ↑ Orlando Politics, "Alan Grayson Receives Endorsement from Our Revolution Orlando," July 12, 2018
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Darren Soto picks up endorsement from U.S. Rep. John Lewis," May 17, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Biden endorses Soto over Grayson in Florida congressional primary," May 29, 2018
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ "Issues," accessed May 16, 2018
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 DCCC, "Red to Blue Candidates," accessed May 15, 2018
- ↑ The Intercept, "THE DEAD ENDERS: Candidates Who Signed Up to Battle Donald Trump Must Get Past the Democratic Party First," January 23, 2018
- ↑ FEC, "Independent Expenditures," August 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts - Florida," accessed May 9, 2018
- ↑ Florida Demographics, "Florida Cities by Population," accessed May 9, 2018
